


After Hours

by redhoodiehearts (Heroichemmo)



Category: Newsies, Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Babysitting, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 00:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15085166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heroichemmo/pseuds/redhoodiehearts
Summary: Based on a drawing on @crystallizedtwilight's patreon! Basically how Buttons learned about Elmer's old toy dog, and some major pinning!Elmer helping to watch his four siblings.





	After Hours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jessi (crystallizedtwilight)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Jessi+%28crystallizedtwilight%29).



> Please support [Jessi](http://crystallizedtwilight.tumblr.com/) on patreon! The art piece this was inspired by is on there, and it's literally the CUTEST.

The thing about this whole situation was that even though he wasn’t Buttons’ sole focus, Elmer was able to watch him in his element. He came from a big family; being the youngest of nine, he was used to being overlooked. So Elmer came to help Elanor with her math homework, or help wrangle the twins, while Buttons took care of his baby brother, just to help out a little. He rarely did anything for himself, so if Elmer could take even a little bit of that load off, he would.

“Elmer, Elmer! Did you see the doll Benji made me?” 

He smiled at the girl – Adelaide? Alana? He couldn’t tell them apart, though from what he’d heard, neither could their parents sometimes – and took it from her outstretched hand. “Oh, wow, it’s nice! Did you say thank you?”

“Of course she did.” Her twin spoke up, arms crossing with a sour look. “We aren’t  _rude_.”

Elmer’s smile doubled; she looked just like her brother when the Delancy’s came to cause trouble. “I’m just makin’ sure. You gotta be nice or you’ll grow up rotten.” He teased while putting the doll into their toy bag. The girls went back to their job of cleaning up and Elmer monitoring to make sure they stayed on task, and he could quietly hear Buttons humming in the kitchen. No doubt he was rocking the baby, trying to keep him calm while warming a bottle…

His attention was brought back to the task at hand, though, when a stuffed elephant dropped in his lap, and a question launched at him a moment later.

“Do you have any toys, Elmer?”

He shook his head, putting the elephant in the bag before looking at the girls. “I used to have a little plaid dog, but not anymore.”

When he looked up, both girls were sitting in front of him. “What happened?”

And, see, Elmer was far from used to this; they wanted to hear about him? about something that happened… To him? “Oh… Uh, well, I took it with me to school, and someone decided they wanted it more.”

“Did you tell your teacher? Mama says that if anyone’s mean, we should tell our teacher.” 

“No… I was outgrowing it anyways.“

The last thing he expected was for the two to launch themselves into his lap, suffocating him in a hug, but that’s what happened anyways. He was shocked for a moment before slowly hugging them back, smile across his face.

“I don’t wanna outgrow my doll!”

“Me either! I’m never gonna grow up!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle just slightly, patting their backs.

“Okay, okay,” a voice spoke from behind them, and all three looked up to see Buttons standing next to them, smiling. “I thought I sent you in here to clean?”

“We are, but… Benji, someone stole Elmer’s toy plaid dog!”

He flushed, shrugging while looking at him. “It was when I was seven, it’s been a while.”

Buttons laughed (and Elmer’s heart did a little skip) before motioning to the girls. “Okay, c’mon, it’s close to bedtime.”

“But what if someone takes our toys?”

Buttons leaned down, carefully cradling the youngest Davenport kid in his arms. “Alana… No one’s gonna take your toys, I promise. And if they do, you gotta big Brooklyn boy on your side that’ll get ‘em back for you.” He grinned, winking at Elmer. (Who thought he might have forgotten how to breathe while blushing, certain he was a puddle.)

But he played it cool and smirked at the girls, his fist playfully slamming into the palm of his other hand. “That’s right, I’ll rough ‘em up for ya.”

The girls looked at each other for a moment, as if debating on the reality of Elmer and Buttons telling the truth, before nodding. Buttons smiled at him before standing back up. “Okay, now: night clothes, please. You have about ten minutes until bed.”

Both girls rushed off, reaching into the bag to pull out their doll and elephant out first, and Elmer watched as Buttons moved back to the kitchen.

See, this was Elmer’s second favorite Benjamin: the one who put his family first. He sold papes day in and day out, then came home and played the role of Perfect Big Brother for the kids, making sure they were all taken care of before bed. He was the one who, even though he was visibly about to fall over, still had time to tell a bedtime story or two to his sisters while feeding the baby.

After they were asleep though… That was Elmer’s  _favorite_  Benjamin.

“Elm?”

He jumped, focus moving to the door of the kitchen again. “Yeah?”

“I hate to ask this, you’ve already been such a big help, but – ” He motioned to Elanor, who looked about ready to pass out at the table over homework. Elmer smiled with a nod, standing. 

“I’m on it, Benjamin.”

And the slight flush and small smile that appeared when Elmer said his name? That made it all worth the work.


End file.
